(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville federal jury has convicted Eleazar Saenz-Alejandro of illegally reentering the country after having been previously deported, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.

Saenz, 54, born in Matamoros, Mexico, had been deported in 1997 and was caught by the U.S. Border Patrol after Saenz reentered the United States without permission on Aug. 6, 2008, near Brownsville, Texas. Saenz claimed to have acquired U.S. citizenship through his United States citizen mother, but the jury ultimately found the defendant guilty.

The charges against Saenz are the result of the investigative efforts of U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Saenz’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle. Saenz faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, followed by three years of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Leonard and Megan Paulson.